Forest of Strategies

Bai JuyiBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.1

Word count: 5.5K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Ce Lin (Forest of Policy Essays) is a collection of seventy-five policy essays that Bai Juyi, the Tang dynasty poet, composed on his own in 806, the first year of the Yuanhe era, in preparation for the imperial examination. Taking contemporary affairs and politics as its starting point, the work chiefly explores eight broad and specific areas: the way of the ruler and the sage, strategies for governing and transforming the people, methods for seeking worthies and selecting the capable, means of rectifying official administration, the art of limiting punishments and exercising caution in penalties, essentials of commanding the army and directing troops, the core of compassion for the people and concern for their circumstances, and the functions of rites, music, and cultural education.

Editor's review

The seventy-five essays of Ce Lin are policy discourses that Bai Juyi drafted on his own before sitting for the imperial examination. Though prepared for the examination, they systematically present his early political ideals and governing ideas. Covering the way of the ruler, selecting worthies and appointing the capable, rectifying official administration, limiting punishments and exercising caution in penalties, commanding the army and directing troops, compassion for the people, and rites, music, and cultural education, the book addresses both broad and specific questions of governance with a well-ordered structure and clear organization. This edition, prepared and published by Bashu Publishing House, offers readers a convenient reading text. Its value lies not in polished prose but in showing how a poet examined real politics with a practical eye, and it also reveals the intellectual training of Tang scholars before the examinations. Readers may treat it as a sample of Tang political thought and read it alongside Bai Juyi's later poetry and official career to better grasp the thread of his thinking. It suits slow reading and selective reading; it need not be read through in one sitting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of history and literature interested in Tang political thought and institutional questions
Scholars and students studying Bai Juyi's life and intellectual development
Writing enthusiasts who wish to understand the conventions of ancient policy essay writing
Readers preparing for the essay section of civil service examinations who need perspectives on governance issues

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting Bai Juyi's poetry or literary appreciation
General readers who prefer light, entertaining, story-driven reading
Beginners without a foundation in classical Chinese who are unwilling to consult annotations

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and group the essays by themes such as the ruler, selecting worthies, official administration, and the people's conditions, reading three to five closely each time.
After each essay, summarize its core argument in your own words, then make brief notes comparing it with modern governance issues.
Read alongside Bai Juyi's early poetry and materials on the Tang imperial examinations to understand the writing context.
Look up annotations for institutional terms first; do not insist on reading every word closely—focus on grasping the line of argument.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
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FAQ

Is Ce Lin a poetic work by Bai Juyi?

No. Ce Lin consists of seventy-five policy essays that Bai Juyi drafted on his own before taking the imperial examination in the first year of the Yuanhe era. It is a work of political discourse exploring such governance issues as the way of the ruler, selecting worthies and appointing the capable, official administration and punishments, and commanding the army and directing troops; its genre differs from his poetry.

Can someone without a foundation in classical Chinese read this book?

You can try, but you will need annotations and reference works. The policy essay style has fairly regular sentence patterns and clear arguments, making it easier to approach than parallel prose. Start with topics that interest you, read the annotations first to grasp the general meaning, then return to the original text for close reading; you need not read the whole book from the beginning.

Do all seventy-five essays need to be read?

Not necessarily. Each essay addresses a different governance issue and stands relatively independent. Readers may use the table of contents to choose areas of interest, such as selecting worthies, official administration, or the people's conditions, and read them in groups. For systematic research, read through the whole book and trace the logical relationships among the essays.

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About the author

Bai Juyi Author · Chinese

Bai Juyi (772–846), courtesy name Letian and styled Xiangshan Jushi, was born in Xinzheng, Henan, with ancestral roots in Taiyuan. A leading Tang dynasty realist poet, he championed the New Yuefu movement together with Yuan Zhen, and the two were known as "Yuan-Bai"; he is also paired with Liu Yuxi as "Liu-Bai." Bai Juyi served as a Hanlin academician and Left Remonstrator, among other posts. His wide-ranging work includes satirical poems on the hardships of ordinary people and long narrative and lyrical songs. Masterpieces such as "Song of Everlasting Sorrow," "Song of the Pipa," and "The Charcoal Seller" are noted for their plain, natural language and sincere feeling, and have exerted a lasting influence on later poetry. His Bai Shi Changqing Collection survives, and this library holds 77 of his works, including poems, prose collections, and verse groups such as Poems from Qin and Spring by the Xunyang River, commonly classed under ancient poetry, classic works, and inspirational growth.